I think some important context in regards to this whole thread, is that the 11th gen Framework was and still is a 1st product for the company. They have had over a year to refine it, and the laptop I bought in the 2nd batch is definitely different from the one I own today, simply due to all the Firmware updates that have happened in that time.
This being said, I am close to the ideal user for the Framework. I use it daily for simple web browsing and video watching, in my home, with a charger nearby. It also isn’t my only computer, so if I ever had a problem with it, I have multiple backups. I don’t even use it for work, so I’m never doing critical tasks on it. Because of all these points, I love this computer. Is is perfect? nope, but I’ve never owned or seen a laptop that I’d consider perfect, so I don’t expect perfection from my devices. There will always be tradeoffs, whether it’s battery, power, repairabiliy, aesthetics, etc.
The important thing to me is that Framework as a company is doing an amazing job, even if they still need time to improve their craft. I am still amazed that the 11th gen laptops are still getting firmware updates, even after 12th gen is out and the chromebook is on the way, the fact that Framework support does an amazing job, and admits/corrects their mistakes when pointed out, and the fact that the company is still pushing repairability and upgradeability is commendable. I love coming on the forum almost daily to offer support to other users, and see all the cool projects being worked on because I want to see Framework succeed, and I think that even though progress has been slow and there have been lots of bumps in the road, I trust the company to keep up the good work.
As for the original question, its all very subjective, but I think that hearing the use case, the 11th gen will be a great deal, and shouldn’t be a bad option. It likely wont last as long on battery as you’d like, but maybe this retiming fix will help! It won’t have the rigidity of a milled casing, and that means that the screen is at more risk to break, but you can buy the milled top cover on the marketplace if you want, and the refurb comes with a 1 year warranty, so if you have any screen issues before that Framework will help you out. All the issues listed above have been reported on the forum, and could be a problem for you, but they also all have workarounds/solutions. Many were fixed in the 12th gen laptop, and many aren’t even issues in competing laptops, so it’s a good thing you came to this forum and asked for advice because now you are aware of the risks, but as others have said, you are unlikely to see ALL these issues, and if you do, Framework support is willing to help you fix them if they can. Look at the issues, and decide for yourself if the benefits outweigh the costs, and maybe the answer will be “wait for now and come back for Framework’s 13th gen, or even 14th gen model” but maybe the answer will be “I can work with what is already out there”. Choose what’s best for you, this is a user forum, so I don’t think that the vibe should be “you have to buy a Framework laptop even if it isn’t right for you” but I also don’t think we want to be bad-mouthing the company on their own site.